Page 34 of Camriel
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CAMRIEL WAS DEVASTATEDas he watched his mate run away again.He couldn’t really blame her.She was wounded and they were outnumbered by their foes.A bullet nicked him on the neck, reminding him that the battle wasn’t over yet.He raced over to scoop up the guns he’d dropped, then took cover again.
It took over an hour to finish hunting down all the vermin who’d tried to kill his cambion.When he was done, he returned to the spot where he’d last seen her.“I’ll be seeing you again soon, mate,” he vowed.
His vision went strange and he saw double for a second.As if he’d summoned her, he saw his cambion standing right in front of him.She was staring at him intently.She was even more beautiful without tension hounding her.Realizing he could see her, her eyes widened.“Mine,” he said in utter satisfaction, claiming her as his even though she wasn’t really there.
The vision faded, but his heart soared.Cam had no idea what this strange talent was that she possessed.She had to have been thinking about him to appear so suddenly like that.Her lack of hostility was a good omen.His only concern was how thin she looked.He didn’t like the hollows beneath her cheeks.
“I need to fatten her up,” he decided.First, he had to prove to her that she could trust him.The romance books he’d been reading should help.That was if he could focus long enough to articulate his thoughts the next time they spoke.He’d been so nervous about scaring her away that he’d fumbled their first real interaction.
Remembering the few words he’d managed, he flushed in embarrassment.“She probably thinks I’m stupid,” he mumbled as he trotted back to his truck.They’d been in a harrowing situation, but at least they’d both survived mostly intact.
Camriel was tempted to search for his mate, but he might scare her away again.It was probably best to let her come to him when Fate chose the time and place.He drove back to the base, wincing when hail bounced off his vehicle.Luckily, it wasn’t gigantic this time.
He made it home without his baby suffering any damage.He was glad to see the path to reach their lair was now wider.The truck that had carried the bulldozer up the mountain was gone.The bulldozer and cement truck were parked next to the shed that contained their fuel.Amaros had also moved some of the dangerous debris from the road with the bulldozer.
Amaros emerged from the north wing as Cam drove beneath the trees.“Is your cambion alright, brother?”he asked, raising his voice above the storm.
Camriel climbed out of the truck, glad for the cover of the trees.“She was wounded, but she survived,” he replied.His commander nodded in relief, then they covered his ride with tarps and hurried inside.
Zoe and Grace handed them towels when they entered the great room.The fireplace in the center of the room was blazing and they’d put their cushions close to it.“Tell us what happened,” Zoe requested.
Toweling his hair dry, Cam sank down onto a cushion.Amaros dried his hair while standing up.“My intuition was right,” he reported.“I followed my gut and it led me to a small town.I heard gunfire and sensed my cambion.”He described the vicious fight and the limited interaction he’d had with his mate.
“So, shecanfight,” Amaros said, glad for the confirmation.
“She’s good with knives and with that wicked curved blade,” Camriel said proudly.
“It sounds like a reaping hook,” Grace figured.
“We’re really glad you’re both okay,” Zoe said.“Let’s hope your cambion has healed by now.”
“The bullet went through her side, so it isn’t lodged inside her,” Camriel said.He’d seen holes on both sides of her jacket, as well as blood.The thought of her being injured made his insides clench.“I wish I could kill them all over again for hurting her,” he growled.
“It’s a pity she ran away,” Amaros said.“Hopefully, she’ll realize you’re not her enemy now that you’ve fought together.”
“You’re really going to have to work on your communication skills, Cam,” Grace said in a pitying tone.She sympathized with his mate for being shot.She’d put the bullet that had hit her in the thigh in her bedroom.It was a memento of her near death experience.
He’d told them about his moronic attempt to talk to his female.“She makes me nervous,” he said defensively.“I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as her before.”
“What does she look like?”Zoe asked in fascination.She and Amaros had gone through this process themselves.It was fun to watch another knight falling for his perfect match.
“She’s tall and has dark brown eyes,” Camriel said dreamily.
“Is that it?”Grace asked skeptically.“There’s nothing else you can remember about her?”
He gave her a cranky look.“She has short black hair, dark olive skin and her cheeks are too prominent,” he reported.“It’s hard to tell her musculature, but she’s strong, fast and she moves like a trained fighter.”
“How tall is she?”Zoe asked.
“She comes up to here,” he said, indicating her head height.
“She’s six feet tall,” Amaros figured.
“My cambion has a unique talent,” Cam said with a grin.“I’m not sure how she did it, but she appeared before me after I finished slaughtering the humans.”
“What do you mean?”Grace asked in confusion.
